Where are all the good black men?” Haven’t we all heard this question asked many times throughout our lives? African American women of today’s society seem to feel that there is a shortage of respectable black men. Why?
Have we produced a generation of disrespectful, unmannered men who do not have the capability of treating a young lady well? Have all of our young brothers lost the sense of integrity that mothers have tried to instill in their sons? Maybe black men are not at fault? Perhaps generations of young women have molded an attitude that black men have adapted to, which includes emotions such as callousness and the inability to trust.
Walking the campus of Prairie View A&M University, it’s interesting to see the way students react to each other. In many instances, young black men perpetuate a lot of the myths that the media feed to society. Whether it is the foul language young men choose to use as a part of every day speaking, or an overall disrespectful mannerism, it is understandable why many black women feel hopeless when it comes to finding a “good black man.”
However, looking at some women, it is easy to see why they experience disrespect. They talk all this talk about finding a respectful man; then, present themselves in a manner that a “good black man” would not honor.
Whether it is by the degrading conversations they tend to partake in, using foul language and shallow speaking, or by the racy manner of dress they choose to wear, some young women do not project a good image.
As a result of both these occurrences, black men feel no need to respect young ladies and vice versa. So what we have is an ongoing cycle of disrespect and negative opinion for each other. If this cycle continues, we will have nothing to look forward to but generations of women and men who feel no need to respect each other.
The word “respect” has been used many times throughout this article for one simple reason. Society has forgotten the true meaning of it. Since we have lost the true meaning of respect, we have lost the ability to truly apply it.
If both black men and women would grasp the concept of respecting each other as well as themselves, the search for a “good black man,” or a ” good black women” would not be as difficult.